1Up has long been a leader in the tray-style bike rack space with durable, rebuildable hitch racks that fit a variety of bikes. Back in 2021, 1Up acquired Bellingham-based Recon Racks, and since then has released a few different models of vertical shuttle-style bike racks. The Recon I’ve been using is the brand’s latest version, and it features a whole slew of updates.

Out the gate, 1Up eliminated welds from the Recon’s construction so every piece is modular and replaceable. This version is also a little lighter, and the wheel baskets have been re-worked to fit the widest variety of wheels and tires possible. The rack is also compatible with a range of APS panels so you can strap your stuff to it, overlander style. Finally, it features a new wedge mechanism in the hitch that should mean less wobbling and a more secure ride. And, of course, like all 1Up racks, it’s made in the USA.

I’ve been using the four-bike version of this new Recon rack, and so far it’s been a very solid option, with a few quirks that are worth noting depending on your use case.

1Up Recon 4 Overview

• Configurations available: 4, 5, or 6 bike options
• Hitch size: 2” only
• Capacity: 45 lbs per basket
• Stated weight: 72 lbs
• Price: $1,100

1Up Recon Rack Features and Installation

The Recon Rack comes packed flat in a couple of big boxes. 1Up includes a nice dual-sided ratcheting wrench, but I found that it’s nice to also have your own socket set available when you’re putting it together. It’s not a complicated installation process, but it’s worth reading the instructions before you touch any tools and then following them closely. Especially when it comes time to put together the basket assembly, it’s not terribly intuitive, and it’s easy to spend a bunch of time putting it all together wrong, before you look at the instructions again and do it right.

That said, the fit and finish on all the parts is excellent and putting it together is quite satisfying, like a high-end, adult-sized erector set.

It’s easiest to finish bolting everything together with the rack installed in your hitch. 1Up uses a combination of a locking through-pin (it’s not threaded, like some other options) and an internal wedge system to secure the rack to your hitch. This combo is burly, and I haven’t had any issues with it loosening up.

If you want to really lock the rack down, 1Up included eyelets on the ends of the top arm so that you can ratchet strap the rack back down to your hitch and cut down on sway. I didn’t end up doing this, because the rack had an acceptable level of play out of the box, and I didn’t want to make it any harder to actuate the hinge mechanism.

The Recon has a big, beefy hinge that allows you to tip the rack back to access the rear storage of your vehicle. To do this, you need to pull the hairpin cotter out of one end of the main pin, and then slide it out of the rack. You may need to wiggle the rack to do this, and it’s a little challenging with the bike fully loaded. Then slide up the handle in the vertical section to unlock everything and fold it down.

While this mechanism is burly and easy to work on, it’s far from the quickest and easiest to deploy. Most other vertical racks at this price point have an easier-to-articulate tilt mechanism, and many have a pneumatic strut to make it easier to tip the rack up and down fully loaded.

In this regard, the Recon reminds me of 1Up's tray racks. The tilt mechanism used on those racks is far from the smoothest, or easiest to use around, but it’s quite secure. If you plan on tipping your rack around a bunch, this might not be the option for you. But, if you want something burly and bombproof, that you only actuate occasionally, it will fit the bill. And, as we'll get into later, that's the story for the whole rack. It prioritizes simplicity and durability over features that look cool in Instagram reels.

Loading and Unloading the 1Up Recon Rack

Like most vertical racks, the Recon Rack is best loaded left to right, with the tallest (axle-to-bar) bikes on the left. The baskets easily fit a wide variety of wheel and tire sizes, and 1Up sells an adapter for smaller children’s wheels.

Unfortunately, the 1Up Recon Rack’s front baskets do not work with any fender I have found. I tried them with RockShox bolt-on fenders, Fox bolt-on fenders, Manitou bolt-on fenders, and a variety of third party zip-tie or velcro fenders. In every instance the fenders impact the basket and either keep the wheel from seating properly, or deform uncomfortably. It doesn’t take a long ride in this rack to break a RockShox fender. That’s a real bummer since it disqualifies this rack from use in the Pacific Northwest for much of the year. I’ve used many other vertical racks and have yet to use one that interferes with fenders to this extent.

Once you’ve got the front wheel situated, the included cinch straps are used to secure the rear wheel. These use one of the most secure (and least intuitive to some folks) methods to lock your bike into the lock. You hitch the strap around one side of the bracket, feed it through the wheel and around the rim, and then through the other side of the bracket, and up to the pedal where it loops around the spindle. Then, you just pull down on the pedal to use the freehub of your bike to tension the system. I’ve been using this same system on buddy’s racks for years, so it’s fairly intuitive, but I’ve also seen a bunch of folks struggle to figure it out. If you own one of these racks, be prepared to help friends load it. And of course, those straps aren’t attached to the rack, so when it’s empty, you’ll need to stash them in your car. One other note, the included straps are a little on the short side. That's nice because it means there's less of a tail to flop around, and if you want to go longer you could replace them with six-foot NRS straps.

All that to say, once you’ve got it loaded, the Recon is very secure. But loading and unloading it takes a little more effort than most other vertical racks, which means that if your primary goal is quick shuttle laps, it’s not the most efficient.

Speed Versus Security

Inside of me are two wolves. One of them used to coach NICA high school cross-country mountain biking. That wolf knows that the vast majority of vertical racks nation-wide are being sold to families trying to cart a bunch of bikes between races. The other wolf just wants to blast out quick 1,000-foot shuttle laps with my friends on a moody afternoon.

For the NICA set—folks with lots of bikes going on long road trips—the Recon is a great choice, as long as you’re not running front fenders. Your bikes are very secure in the rack, and the rack is very securely attached to your car. Everything about it is bomber, and if you do need to replace a part, that will be easy to do.

But, for folks who are more interested in cranking out quick shuttle laps and are loading and unloading the rack a bunch (and for folks who need to fold it out of the way to access the rear of their cars) there are other options that get the job done easier.

For Now

The 1Up Recon Rack presents an interesting choice. The more you prioritize a modular, repairable product made in the USA, the more compelling it becomes. It’s burly and a real pleasure to use. That said, if you run a front fender on your bike or need to be able to fold your rack out of the way quickly, there are more attractive options on the market at a similar price.

Learn more: 1Up